A tall man with a brown beard and a slight stoop ceased to assault the handle of a firescreen and came over to greet her.

He had only come back half an hour ago, he explained, and so had missed her arrival.

The face attracted and soothed her.

Abundant kindness lurked in the humorous brown eyes, and a queer pucker on the brow gave him the air of a benevolent despot.

If this was Lord Manorwater, she had no further dread of the great ones of the earth.